Social Development Isn’t Just a Job
Search for Common Ground interviewed and filmed the 2012 N-Peace Winners. The N-Peace Awards celebrate and recognise women who are leaders and peace builders in their communities. The award campaign is managed jointly by UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Center (APRC) and Search for Common Ground. Secretary Teresita Deles was the award winner from the Philippines. Madelaine Dickie and Ian White caught up with her in Manila.
Karen Tañada remembers the days when Teresita Quintos ‘Ging’ Deles wore her hair long and her skirts short. The women, then students, were working as volunteers on community development projects. As they moved into the professional world, Deles’ alternative approach to development proved to be groundbreaking: promoting ecological awareness, introducing childcare into her work place, asking her husband to flip tofu, and setting up ‘Pilipina’, one of the first organizations in her country to promote a strictly feminist agenda. Her rationale is that you can’t just work in social development—it also has to affect your lifestyle. read more…
“In a country full of pain and grief, I chose to bring life, and I chose to bring joy.” – Kiki Katese , founder
Photo by Lex Fletcher
The Hutu and Tutsi members of the group Ingoma Nshya have broken a cultural taboo in becoming Rwanda’s first and only female drumming troupe. Serving as role models for other women survivors, theirs is an inspirational story of women’s empowerment, the healing of the wounds of genocide, and of finding joy and hope. read more…
Overcoming Gender Stereotypes on and off the Field
Sophia, Upendo and their team mates are trying to overcome gender stereotypes on and off the pitch.
By Anaïs Caput
“In the midst of modernity, there are many things holding us back” – Seko Tingitana, Director and Producer of The Team in Tanzania
In many ways, Tanzania has a model legal system for addressing gender issues. The country has ratified the main international conventions protecting the rights of women and its Constitution makes provisions to ensure the representation of women in Parliament. In the 2012 Women in Parliament World Classification, Tanzania ranks 19th, tying with Spain and way ahead of its neighbors Kenya or Burundi. Yet, there is a gap between law and practice. Seko Tingitana, a young Tanzanian woman who founded her own TV production company in 2008 and who currently serves as the Director and Producer of The Team in Tanzania has said that “there are many things holding us back.” Tanzanian women continue to face high rates of gender based violence, low rates of girls’ secondary school education, low participation in political decision-making, and barriers to land inheritance. read more…
Meet the 2012 Common Ground Awardees: Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Photo: Frank Stewart
Charlayne Hunter-Gault is a respected journalist with more than forty years in the industry. Between her leadership as a writer and broadcast journalist and her prominent role in the civil rights movement, Charlayne has consistently dedicated her life to creating a more open and inclusive world. read more…
The Results Are In! The 2012 Radio for Peacebuilding Africa Awards
RFPA is pleased to announce the results of the 2012 RFPA Awards! RFPA received a diverse selection of programmes in the entries, including both fictional and non-fictional programmes; English, French, and local language broadcasts; and representation from countries across the continent.
For this edition of the RFPA Awards, the three award categories were:
- Youth
- Gender
- Jury’s Special Award
A prize was given to the top three entries for each category, recognising high quality radio programmes that contribute to peace in Africa. The jury members were media and peacebuilding experts from sub-Saharan Africa, as well as from Europe and the United States.
Visit the RFPA website and listen to the best programmes submitted for this 2012 edition! read more…
Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens to be Honored at the Upcoming 2012 Common Ground Awards
J. Christopher Stevens, Ambassador
“Relationships between governments are important, but relationships between people are the real foundation of mutual understanding” – J. Christopher Stevens
J. Christopher Stevens was well-known not only for his kindness and intelligence but his willingness to embrace the cultures surrounding him. As the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, he was often seen in the streets of Tripoli conversing with Libyans as his security detail stayed well back, allowing him to nurture a sense of accessibility among ordinary citizens during a tumultuous period in Libya’s history. Until his death in the attack on the Benghazi Consulate on September 11, 2012, he had spent his life bridging divides and cultivating understanding between the United States and the Middle East. read more…
